Diane and Steve Akseizer
Legend Yacht and Beach Club
Glen Cove, New York

When F. Scott Fitzgerald needed a
locale for
The Great Gatsby, he chose the north shore of New York's
Long Island, focusing on a stretch of mansion-studded beachfront
called the "Gold Coast." When Steve and Diane Akseizer went
looking for a new home four years ago, they found Gatsby's old
haunts just to their liking. They settled on a sumptuous, new,
46-home gated community called Legend Yacht and Beach Club, in
Glen Cove, less than 25 miles from Manhattan.

"The property had been the Loew estate, belonging to Marcus
Loew, of the theater and motion picture family," explains Steve, a
dentist who serves as a trustee for the Academy of General
Dentistry. "He built a 100,000-square-foot mansion here and
entertained people from Helen Hayes to the Prince of Wales." Loew's
mansion was torn down in 1968, but the acreage on Long Island
Sound, with water views that stretch from New York to Connecticut,
made the perfect setting for a new community.

As with many of the Gold Coast's golden-age householders,
residents of Legend Yacht and Beach Club find it easy to take to
the water. "This is the only community in the Nassau-Suffolk County
area with its own marina on the sound," Steve points out, "and each
house has its own slip."

Homes at Legend stand on half-acres of land. They range in size
from 3,200 to 6,000 square feet, not counting basement space.
(There's also one 10,000-square-foot residence that originally
served as the mansion's carriage house.) "There were four basic
models to choose from," says Steve, "but by now each has been
modified, so there are quite a few differences among them."

Modifications can't be made at will, though. If residents want
to change the color of their siding, extend their driveway, or put
in a basketball court for their kids (the Akseizers' four sons are
grown), the Legend homeowners' association first has to review the
proposed alterations.

"When you look for a home in this type of community, you have to
make sure that your needs as an individual are in line with the
rules," says Steve. He notes that while some similar developments
permit fences as high as 6 feet, "here, no fences are allowed. It's
all open, and it looks like you own everything. You can't do
anything that blocks the view of the sound."

Legend has set aside 26 acres as communal property, including a
1½-acre pond with two fountains. Egrets, herons, and
cormorants nest nearby. Classic gas lighting in common areas
minimizes nighttime light pollution. There's nothing old-fashioned
about maintenance, though, unless it's sheer attention to detail.
"In the winter, snow is shoveled right up to your front steps by 6
a.m.," says Steve. "The docks are beautifully maintained, there's a
lifeguard at the pool, and the gatehouse is staffed 24 hours a
day."

Then there are the intangibles. "Ever since we've lived here,
I've felt like we've been in paradise," says Diane Akseizer, who
works for the department of radiation and oncology at Long Island
Jewish Hospital. "I don't know what I've enjoyed most―the
spectacular sunrises and sunsets, gazing at the bright stars on a
clear night, or smelling the salty air while looking out over the
sound. When I've had a particularly difficult day at work, I remind
myself that this is really what it's all about."